‘Chinese incursion in Uttarakhand’

Senior Uttarakhand police and intelligence officials on Wednesday discussed reports on the Chinese incursion on the Indian side on June 13. The officials met in the state capital here.

A senior police official confirmed to Hindustan Times that the Chinese troops entered Indian territory at Barahoti in Chamoli district, some 300 kms from state capital on June 13.

The troops are believed to have entered into the area which is a pastoral tract of land. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has a post in Rim Khim (Barahoti).

An intelligence official however added the incursions if any are mainly harmless in nature as it is a pastoral land used for grazing.

Surender Kumar, media advisor to chief minister Harish Rawat said that the state will share information with the concerned agencies.

Reports of 21 Chinese troops intruding in the Indian territory at Barahoti in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand had come to light in 2013 and the state government had confirmed the news saying that they had told the Centre about it.

There had also been reports of Chinese troops scribbling the word ‘China’ on the rocks near Mana pass in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand at the height of 13,500 feet.

It has been seen that such tactics are used by troops from both sides to apprise the other of their presence in the area.

Both the Indian and Chinese troops are known to drop items like matchboxes in no man’s land area to mark their presence.

Former Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna has pointed out at a meeting of Chief Ministers on internal security held in New Delhi that Chinese troops had intruded into Uttarakhand 37 times from 2007 till 2012.